Millionaire jailed for refusing to tear down his luxury man cave

A MILLIONAIRE has been jailed after defying a court order to tear down a luxury man cave which he built illegally in his back garden.

Accountant Graham Wildin, 70, was sent to prison for six weeks for contempt of court after refusing to demolish the private leisure complex with a cinema, gym, casino, bar and bowling alley.

The battle started after the Forest of Dean District Council brought a case against him over the complex, which he built without planning permission in 2014 at his home in Cinderford, Gloucestershire.

In November 2018, the council obtained an injunction against Wildin and he was ordered to demolish it. He was originally given until April 25, 2020, to tear down the building but he defied the order.

In June 2021, Wildin was found in contempt of court for non-compliance with the injunction, which he appealed. The appeal was dismissed and he was given until March 10 this year to comply with the order and avoid prison time.

The deadline passed with the building still standing, and he was sentenced at Cardiff High Court on Friday. Wildin will still be required to bulldoze his man cave even after he has served his sentence.

A neighbour who lives on the same road said in April: ‘He’s not very well liked.

‘He’s upset everybody on this road by flouting planning rules and then parking his collection of classic cars everywhere.

‘He’s had a swimming pool built at the back, finished not long ago. That was ongoing for about four or five months. He gets everybody’s back up… it’s just a shame because he used to be part of the community and would join us in street parties and stuff, but now he’s just annoyed everyone on the road and treats us badly.’

Paul Hiett, deputy leader of Forest of Dean Council, said on Friday: ‘The enforcement case against Mr Wildin has been a long and complex road. In what should have been a completely avoidable situation, Mr Wildin has continually ignored planning law and policies that are there to protect local communities.’